PickYourOwn.org Where you can find a pick-your-own farm near you! Click on the printer icon that looks like this: (at the top left, to the right of save a copy ) to print! See www.pickyourown.org/alllaboutcanning.htm for many other canning directions and recipes How to Make Home and Can Persimmon Jelly at Home - Easily! How to Make Persimmon Jelly - Easily! With Step-by-step Directions, Photos, Ingredients, Recipe and Costs Yield: 6-7 small (8 ounce) jars Click here for a PDF print version Making and canning your own Persimmon jelly is so easy. Here's how to do it, in 12 simple steps and completely illustrated. Persimmons come in many varieties, from the flattened Fuyu at left, to elongated Hachiya persimmons at right. Ingredients Fruit: Persimmons - 8 pounds of fresh, ripe, soft persimmons Lemon juice - bottled is considered to have the right acidity - 1/4 cup. Water - 2 cups Sugar or honey - About 3.5 cups of dry, granulated (table) sugar or 3 cups of honey. It is possible to make low-sugar, fruit juice-sweetened, or Stevia (in a prepared form like Truvia, it measures same as sugar; if you use another form, you'll need do your own conversion) - or Splenda, if you prefer, -sweetened fig jam; I'll point out the differences below. Pectin - 1 package (box usually) or if you get it in bulk, 8 Tablespoons, see the directions below for specifics - get the "no sugar needed" type. (it's a natural product, made from apples and available at grocery stores (season - spring through late summer) and local "big box" stores. It usually goes for about $2.00 to $2.50 per box. You'll get best results with no-sugar needed pectin, whether you choose to add sugar or not! See here for more information about how to choose the type of pectin to use. Equipment 1 Canner (a huge pot to sanitize the jars after filling (about $30 to $35 at mall kitchen stores, sometimes at big box stores and grocery stores.). Note: we sell canners and supplies here, too - at excellent prices - and it helps support this web site! Jar funnel ($2 at Target, other big box stores, and often grocery stores; and available online - see this page) or order it as part of the kit with the jar grabber. At least 1 large pot; I prefer 16 to 20 quart Teflon lined pots for easy cleanup. Large spoons and ladles Ball jars (Grocery stores, like Publix, Kroger, Safeway carry them, as do some big box stores - about $7 per dozen 8 ounce jars including the lids and rings) Lids - thin, flat, round metal lids with a gum binder that seals them against the top of the jar. They may only be used once.
Rings - metal bands that secure the lids to the jars. They may be reused many times. Optional stuff: Lid lifter (has a magnet to pick the lids out of the boiling water where you sanitize them. ($2 at big box stores or it comes in the kit at left) Jar grabber (to pick up the hot jars)- Big box stores and grocery stores sometimes carry them; and it is available online - see this page. It's a tremendously useful to put jars in the canner and take the hot jars out (without scalding yourself!). The kit sold below has everything you need, and at a pretty good price: Persimmon Jelly-making Directions This example shows you how to make jelly from persimmons! The yield from this recipe is about 6 eight-ounce jars (which is the same as 3 pints). Step 1 - Pick the Persimmons! (or buy them already picked) It's fun to go pick your own and you can obviously get better quality ones! (Damsons are shown in the photo at left) I prefer to grow my own; which is really easy - but that does take some space and time. As mentioned in the Ingredients section; you may use frozen Persimmons (those without syrup or added sugar); which is especially useful if you want to make some jam in December to give away at Christmas! They need to be soft and ripe, to lose their astringency. Persimmons will ripe in a sunny window or kitchen counter. Step 2 - How much fruit? Jellies and jams can ONLY be made in rather small batches - about 6 cups at a time - like the directions on the pectin say, DO NOT increase the recipes or the jam won't "set" (jell, thicken). It takes about 8 lbs of raw, unprepared persimmons to make about 5 or 6 cups of mushed (slightly crushed),peeled prepared persimmons. Step 3 - Wash the jars and lids Now's a good time to get the jars ready, so you won't be rushed later. The dishwasher is fine for the jars; especially if it has a "sanitize" cycle, the water bath processing will sanitize them as well as the contents! If you don't have a dishwasher with a sanitize cycle, you can wash the containers in hot, soapy water and rinse, then sanitize the jars by boiling them 10 minutes, and keep the jars in hot water until they are used. NOTE: If unsanitized jars are used, the product should be processed for 5 more minutes. However, since this additional processing can result in a poor set (runny jam), it's better to sanitize the jars. All images and text Copyright Benivia, LLC 2016 All rights reserved. Page 2 of 11
Put the lids into a pan of hot, but not quite boiling water (that's what the manufacturer's recommend) for 5 minutes, and use the magnetic "lid lifter wand" to pull them out. Leave the jars in the dishwasher on "heated dry" until you are ready to use them. Keeping them hot will prevent the jars from breaking when you fill them with the hot jam. Lids: put the very hot (but not quite boiling; around 180 F, steaming water is fine) water for at least several minutes; to soften up the gummed surface and clean the lids. I just leave them in there, with the heat on very low, until I need them! Step 4 -Wash the fruit and sort! I'm sure you can figure out how to wash the persimmons in a colander of plain cold water. Then you need to pick out and remove any bits of stems, leaves and soft or mushy fruit. Cut out any bruised spots, Cut the blossom end (bottom) Then just drain off the water! off Step 5 - Cut up the persimmons Cut out any brown spots and mushy areas. Cut the persimmons in half, or quarters or slices, as you prefer! Some directions tell you leave the pits in, but it is easier to remove the pits now, while the persimmons are room temperature, than when they are boiling! So use your fingers to remove the pits! All images and text Copyright Benivia, LLC 2016 All rights reserved. Page 3 of 11
Then mush them up a bit: Step 6 - Heat the persimmons to simmering Add the 2 cups of water. (it helps to loosen up the persimmons). The purpose of heating the persimmons in this step is to soften them so you can run the mix through a sieve. A Foley food mill is ideal - it will easily separate the skins and any tough bits and yield a uniform mixture. It should take about 5 to 10 minutes to get it to a simmering boil (the kind that cannot be stirred away). Step 7 - Sieve the hot persimmons The easiest method is to use a Foley food mill, but you can any type of seive you have. Some people even use a blender or food processor to just chop everything (be sure the pits were removed first). I do think the Foley food mill (which can also be used to make applesauce, apple butter and seedless jams) yields the best results. All images and text Copyright Benivia, LLC 2016 All rights reserved. Page 4 of 11
Step 8 - Prevent the fruit from darkening! Now, to keep the fruit from turning brown, when you get a bowlful, sprinkle 1/4 cup lemon juice or Fruit- Fresh (which is just a mix of citric acid and vitamin C, perfectly natural). Then stir the persimmons. Step 9 - Measure out the sweetener Depending upon which type of jelly you're making (sugar, no-sugar, honey, Stevia (but you will have to experiment with amount, each brand of Stevia is a different concentration), or Splenda, or a mix of sugar and Stevia (or Splenda) or fruit juice) you will need to use a different amount of sugar and type of pectin. I think the low sugar version is best for both flavor and health. Type of jam you want to make Type of pectin to buy Sweetener regular no-sugar or regular 7 cups of sugar low sugar no-sugar 4.5 cups of sugar or 4 cups of honey lower sugar no-sugar 2 cups sugar and 2 cups Splenda (or about 1/3 that if you use Stevia, which is my preference) no sugar no-sugar 4 cups Splenda (or about 1/3 that if you use Stevia, which is my preference) natural no-sugar 3 cups fruit juice (grape, persimmon, apple or mixed) Step 10 - Mix the dry pectin with about 1/4 cup of sugar or other sweetener Keep this separate from the rest of the sugar. If you are not using sugar, you'll just have to stir more vigorously to prevent the pectin from clumping. All images and text Copyright Benivia, LLC 2016 All rights reserved. Page 5 of 11
Notes about pectin: I usually add about 25% - 30% more pectin (just open another pack and add a little) or else the jam is runnier than I like. With a little practice, you'll find out exactly how much pectin to get the thickness you like. For more about the types of pectin sold, see this page! Is your jam too runny? Pectin enables you to turn out perfectly set jam every time. Made from natural apples, there are also natural no-sugar pectins that allow you to reduce the sugar you add by half or even eliminate sugar! Step 11 - Mix the Persimmons with the pectin and cook to a full boil Stir the pectin into the Persimmons and put the mix in a big pot on the stove over medium to high heat (stir often enough to prevent burning). It should take about 5 to 10 minutes to get it to a full boil (the kind that cannot be stirred away). Step 12 - Add the remaining sugar and bring to a boil When the persimmon-pectin mix has reached a full boil, add the rest of the sugar (about 4 cups of sugar per 6 cup batch of Persimmons) or other sweetener, and then bring it back to a boil and boil hard for 1 minute. All images and text Copyright Benivia, LLC 2016 All rights reserved. Page 6 of 11
Step 13 - Testing for "jell" (thickness) I keep a metal tablespoon sitting in a glass of ice water, then take a half spoonful of the mix and let it cool to room temperature on the spoon. If it thickens up to the consistency I like, then I know the jam is ready. If not, I mix in a little more pectin (about 1/s to 1/2 of another package) and bring it to a boil again for 1 minute. Step 14 - Fill the jars and put the lid and rings on Fill them to within ¼-inch of the top, wipe any spilled jam off the top, seat the lid and tighten the ring around them. Then put them into the boiling water canner! This is where the jar tongs and lid lifter come in really handy! Step 15 - Process the jars in the boiling water bath Keep the jars covered with at least 2 inches of water. Keep the water boiling. In general, boil them for 10 minutes. I say "in general" because you have to process (boil) them longer at higher altitudes than sea level, or if you use larger jars, or if you did not sanitize the jars and lids right before using them. The directions inside every box of pectin will tell you exactly. The directions on the pectin tend to be pretty conservative. Clemson University says you only need to process them for 5 minutes. I usually hedge my bets and start pulling them out after 7 minutes, and the last jars were probably in for 10. I rarely have a jar spoil, so it must work. All images and text Copyright Benivia, LLC 2016 All rights reserved. Page 7 of 11
Note: Some people don't even boil the jars; they just ladle it hot into hot jars, put the lids and rings on and invert them, but putting the jars in the boiling water bath REALLY helps to reduce spoilage! To me, it makes little sense to put all the working into making the jam and then not to process the jars to be sure they don't spoil! Step 16 - Remove and cool the jars - Done! Lift the jars out of the water and let them cool without touching or bumping them in a draft-free place (usually takes overnight) You can then remove the rings if you like, but if you leave them on, at least loosen them quite a bit, so they don't rust in place due to trapped moisture. Once the jars are cool, you can check that they are sealed verifying that the lid has been sucked down. Just press in the center, gently, with your finger. If it pops up and down (often making a popping sound), it is not sealed. If you put the jar in the refrigerator right away, you can still use it. Some people replace the lid and reprocess the jar, then that's a bit iffy. If you heat the contents back up, re-jar them (with a new lid) and the full time in the canner, it's usually ok. Once cooled, they're ready to store. I find they last up to 12 months. But after about 6 to 8 months, they get darker in color and start to get runny. They still are safe to eat, but the flavor and texture aren't as good. So eat them in the first 6 months after you prepare them! All images and text Copyright Benivia, LLC 2016 All rights reserved. Page 8 of 11
From left to right: http://www.pickyourown.org/persimmonjelly.php Other Equipment: 1. Jar lifting tongs to pick up hot jars 2. Lid lifter - to remove lids from the pot of boiling water (sterilizing ) 3. Lid - disposable - you may only use them once 4. Ring - holds the lids on the jar until after the jars cool - then you don't need them 5. Canning jar funnel All images and text Copyright Benivia, LLC 2016 All rights reserved. Page 9 of 11
6. Summary - Cost of Making Homemade Persimmon Jelly - makes 8 jars, 8 oz each** Cost in Item Quantity Source Subtotal 2016 Persimmons 8 lbs $1.00/lbPick your own $8.00 Grocery stores, like Public, Kroger, Canning jars (8 oz Safeway and size), includes lids 6 jars $7.00/dozen sometimes, Big Lots, and rings local hardware stores and big box stores Grocery stores, like Public, Kroger, Sugar 4-5 cups Safeway and $2.00 sometimes, Big Lots, local hardware stores and big box stores Pectin (low sugar, dry) Total 1 and a quarter boxes $3.50 $2.00 Grocery stores, like Public, Kroger, $2.00 per Safeway and $2.70 box sometimes, Big Lots, local hardware stores and big box stores $16.20 total or about $2.70 per 8 oz jar * - This assumes you already have the pots, pans, ladles, and reusable equipment. Note that you can reuse the jars, and that reduces the cost! Just buy new lids (the rings are reusable, but the flat lids are not)! All images and text Copyright Benivia, LLC 2016 All rights reserved. Page 10 of 11
Answers to Common Questions Why should cooked jelly be made in small batches? If a larger quantity of juice is used, it will be necessary to boil it longer thus causing loss of flavor, darkening of jelly, and toughening of jelly. It really doesn't work. Trust me; I've tried many times! Can I use frozen fruit instead of fresh? Yep! Raspberries can be particularly hard to find fresh and are expensive! Frozen fruit work just fine, and measure the same. Just be sure to get the loose, frozen whole fruit; not those that have been mushed up or frozen in a sugar syrup! Should jelly be boiled slowly or rapidly? It should be boiled rapidly since long, slow boiling destroys the pectin in the fruit juice. What do I do if there's mold on my jellied fruit product? Discard jams and jellies with mold on them. The mold could be producing a mycotoxin (poisonous substance that can make you sick). USDA and microbiologists recommend against scooping out the mold and using the remaining jam or jelly. Why did my jellied fruit product ferment, and what do I do? Jellied fruit products may ferment because of yeast growth. This can occur if the product is improperly processed and sealed, or if the sugar content is low. Fermented fruit products have a disagreeable taste. Discard them. What happens if my jam or jelly doesn't gel? Remaking cooked runny jam or jelly instructions can be found on this page All images and text Copyright Benivia, LLC 2016 All rights reserved. Page 11 of 11